Icom Marine VHF, Lost, Found and Good as New after Four Months!

We often receive stories from our customers about our products withstanding immeasurable tests of durability in all sorts of environments. The latest story we have received is from Pete Nicholson who lost his IC-M35 Marine VHF handportable overboard at work on the Bristol Channel. Luckily the story had a happy ending…four months later.

Peter takes up the story.

‘In May 2014, I lost my Icom IC-M35 handheld radio while at work. We were practicing fast turns on a swift water rescue boat just off Combwich on the River Parrett in the Bristol Channel. This was my own personal radio so I was a bit miffed at losing it. We searched for half an hour as we knew it would float, but couldn't find it.’

In September 2014 it was found by a friend’s son on the opposite bank and near to where we were operating. They were working on the bank cutting up some large pieces of wood and decided to follow a line of fencing which went into the river. While turning over drift wood they found the radio which had been submerged twice a day by the tide for four months!’

On inspection the outside was a bit dirty as you can imagine. On taking off the battery, the seals had done their job and the battery connections were still bright and new. Even more surprising, after the radio was charged it sprang into life as if nothing had happened. This is a great example of how good Icom's products are and deserves to be shared with the company.

I had purchased another Icom IC-M35 radio with a fist mic before they found the lost one. The radio that was lost and found has been donated to Burnham Boat Owners Sea Angling Association for one of their safety bags.’